Garment



W. D. CRAIG GARMENT Filed March 4. 1930 INVENTOR. T/I/EZliqm D. Cra

ATTORNEZ.

WILLIAI,

Patented Oct. 18, 1932- UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE D. CRAIG, OF IEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOOKLESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA Gamma-m" :Application filed March 4, 1930. Serial Ho.'438,( 53.,

My invention relates to garments or the i containers of all kinds. While such fasteners were at first-made only-with the fastener stringers permanently connected together at one end, they are now manufactured in both this form and also equipped with a separable end connection whereby the fastener stringers and the portions of the articles to which they are attached, may be completely separated from each other. This has considerably widened the field for the advantageous use of slide fasteners. Many earlier attempts have been made to. place this improved fastening device in corsets and corselets, but up tosthe When it is attempted to apply the fasteners to corsets various difficulties are encountered and it is found that the service imposed on a slide fastener as heretofore applied is more tener by reason of its construction, must first diflicult than in almost'a-ny other ofthe large number of uses to which it is applied. One of the reasons for the difliculty which has been heretofore ex erienced with slide fasteners in corsets is ue to the fact that the fas be connected at one end and then the fastener elements brought together and interlocked by the slider progressively from the connected end to the other end. After connecting the fastener stringers at one end it has been found that the remaining portions of the stringers are sofar apart and that the fastener must frequently be closed under such strain to stretch the corset around the body, that it is almost-impossible to move the slider to close the fastener.

resent time, such attempts havenot met with any great commercial success.

My invention, therefore, aims to overcome the above difliculties in a novel and satisfactory manner. In carrying out the invention the corset is stretched to position. around the body and held by an initial fastening device, which serves to position the fastener stringers adjacent each other so that they ma be more easily closed by the action of the sl der. In order that the initial fastening device may be easily connected by the wearer and serve its purpose effectively, a strap or plurality of straps are attached to' the inner surface of the corset on one side and extend free from the body of the corset so that the wearer can easily grasp the strap and connect it to the fastening device on the opposite side.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention a single fastening device such as a hook and eye is employed with one part attached to a strap as mentioned above and the other part carried by a flap, which is designed to distribute the stress over the entire length of the corset so as to position the fasteners approximately parallel and adjacent to each other along t eir entire length. i

A more specific object therefore is to provide an improved construction of corset or the like, which preferably embodies oneor more elastic sections, in which a singleinitial fastening device is employed at about the line of resultant stress on the-corset, in conjunction with a fastener of the type having fastener elements adapted to be progressively interlocked from one end to the other of the fastener stringers.

Other objects and advantages will inore fully appear during the course of the following specification.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustration, my invention embodied in a garment, the particular styleof which is known as a girdle. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a girdle embodying my invention with one edge of thegirdle turned back to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the fastener stringers in position to be fastened.

Fig.3 is another view'similar to Fig. 1 showing the girdle as fastened.

Fig. 4 is a view of the inside of the front section of the girdle.

Fig. 5 is a. detail view showing one end of the slide fastener on an enlarged scale.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating different forms of the initial fastening device on an enlarged scale.

The improved girdle as illustrated, embodies a body encircling member 7 having elastic sections 8 and 9 of substantial width on opposite sides which are connected by a section of suitable fabric material (not shown) in theback of the girdle. On the left side of the girdle as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a front fabric section 10 is stitched to the elastic section 8, and has on its other vertical edge a slide fastener string-er 11 which may be attached in. any desired man.- ner, preferably by stitching. A cooperating fastener stringer 12 is attached to the opposite separable portion of the girdle, preferably by stitching directly to the elastic section 9, although of course, another fabric section may be arranged between the elastic section and the stringer. If desired, any suitable vertical stiffening means may be employed, many typesof which are well-known in the art. A pair of garter supporters 13 are shown depending from the front fabric section 10.

The fastener stringers 11 and 12 comprise parts of a slide fastener of a well-known type shown in the patent to Gideon Sundback No. 1,219,881, March 20, 1917. The fastener embodies cooperating series of fastener elements 14 and 15 attached to the adjacent longitudinal edges of the stringers 11 and 12 respectively, which are adapted to be brought together at an angle to each other and progressively interlocked by means of a slider 16. The slider is actuated along the stringers to efiect engagement or to release the fastener elements by means of a pull member 17. At their upper ends as bestillustrated in Fig. 5, the stringers are separably connected by an end connecting device comprising a socket 18 clamped on opposite sides to the stringer 11, and a pin member 19 on the stringer 12 which -is received in the socket 18. When the fas tener is completely disconnected and it is desired to reconnect it, the pin member is threaded through the slider and the socket 18 into engagement with the stop lug 20 whereby the fastener elements 14 and 15 are correctly alined for proper engagement by the slider. The edge 21 of the socket member acts as a stop for the slider and prevents its movement off of the stringer 10 and also positions the slider correctly during insertion and removal of the pin member 19. At the other ends of thestrmgers are stop members 22 and 23 which engage each other inside the slider and limit its downward movement.

At a point spaced a substantial distance from the outer free edge of the front fabric section 10, there is connected one or more flexible straps. In the present instance a pair of such straps 24 and 25 are employed, the strap 24 being connected at a suitable point spaced from the top and the other strap 25 being connected near the bottom. These straps meet at a common point at about the hip line of the girdle so that the initial fastening is disposed at about the resultant line of stress on the girdle. It will be understood that the straps are attached in any suitable manner such as by stitching to the inner side 'of' the girdle as indicated in Fig. 4 at 26 tener stringers 11 and 12 adjacent each other as illustrated in Fig. 2. Such initial fastening devicemay be of any common form but preferably comprises a hook 29 carried by the straps 24 and 25 and an eye 30 attached to the flap. Special attention should be given to the construction of the flap 28 so as to have the stress distributed evenly from the initial connecting device 30 to the entire edge of the elastic section 9. This flap is prefer-- ably constructed of one or more layers of substantially inelastic hard woven material secured together by lines of stitching. I have found in practice that a material known as coutil will serve the purpose very Well. A modified construction of this flap is illustrated in Fig. 4 where the flap is madeup of two layers of material 31 and 32 between which are secured a series of straps 33 which radiate from the apex of the flapto different portions of the opposite edge. These straps will thus serve to distribute the stress along the entire edge of the flap although it is believed that if aproper material is used the straps will not be required. When the fastener is connected it will be observed that the flap underlies the metal fastener elements, separating end connection and slider so as to prevent contact of the metal parts with the wearer. If desired, an eyelet 34 illust'rated in Fig. 7 may be used in place of the eye 30.

In the use of the girdle embodying my invention, it is placed in proper position on the body and the wearer takes hold of the strap or straps 24 and 25 on one side and the flap 28 on the other side allowing the free portion of the front fabric section 10 to swing outwardly, and the girdle is pulled around the body so, as to stretch the elastic sections 8 and 9. During this operation the separable I whereby the parts are held in tensioned con-.

dition. The front fabric portion is swung into position as illustrated in Fig. 2 and the slide fastener is now ready to be connected. The slider 16 is moved to the upper limit of its travel and the pin 10 is threaded through the slider into the socket 18 and against the stop 20. 'The slider can now be pulled downwardly to close the fastener and it will be seen that with the stringers positioned closely adjacent each other, the final closing operation becomes aneasy matter. The elastic sections need be stretched only a slight amount more in order to interlock the fastener elements which can be very easily accomplished by the slider. When the slide fastener is closed it will be noted vthat all tension removed from the straps 24 and 25 and the hook and eye 29 and 30.. There will therefore be practically no danger of these parts failing in service. A locking type of slider is preferably employed so that there will be no tendency for the slider to work upwardly and allow the fastener to open.

As a result of my invention it will be apparent that an improved garment or the like has been devised in which a fastener of the slide operated or similar type may be used to great advantage. The principal difiicuL ties which have been encountered in the use of slide fasteners in corsets, girdles and corselets have been overcome by my invention.

"While I have in this application specifically described one type 0 garment and one or more embodiments which it may assume in practice, it will be understood that the invention is-adapted to all types of corsets,

girdles and corselets as well as other articles where a similar dproblem is involved, and maybe embodle in various other forms wit out departing from the scope of my invention which is defined in the following to claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A garment comprising a body encircling member having separable edges, a slider operated fastener having cooperating series of at fastener elements along said separable edges,

and a slider movable alon said elements for engaglng'or disengaging t e same, a flap unsaid slider and preventcatchin'g of the "slider on the fastener elements during closing, said slider operated fastener, when closed, being adapted to remove the stress from said independent fastening means.

2. A corset or the like, comprising a body encircling member having separable vertical 'edges said member including a section of elastic material adjacent to one of said edges enabling said member to be stretched around the body, fastening means for said corset comprising a slider operated fastener havin cooperating series of .fastener elements a ong said vertical edges for uniting the same, a slider movable along said elements for engaging or disengaging the same, a separable end connection comprising separable parts attached to said edges at one end of said series of elements, a flap attached to one of said edges and projecting therefrom under said slider operated fastener, a strap attached to the opposite side of the corset and a separable fastening device for connecting said strap to said flap at about the hip line of said corset, and when connected, being adapted to maintain said elastic sections stretched and to position said edges of the corset adjacent each other to enable the slider to be more easily moved in closing the fastener and to prevent catching of the slider on said fastener elements.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM D. CRAIG.

d'erlying said'fastener elements on one side and projecting beyond said elements, a strap co attached to the under side of the garment on the 'oppositeside and independent fastening means on said flap and strap adaptedto be initially fastened to place the garment under tensicn and to position said edges adjacent each other ts facilitate closing movement of can 

